1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to drinking devices for bedridden persons and, more particularly, to a drink dispenser having a solenoid valve controlled by an ergonomic switch for unassisted drinking by bedridden persons having limited use of their arms, hands, and/or limited body movement.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Many times a bedridden patient must serve themselves with water, juices, or other liquids. In some cases the patient's condition may make them entirely dependent upon other persons for their basic needs, including drinking liquids. For example, a person may be too weak to lift and manipulate, or too unsteady to regulate, a cup or glass filled with liquids or the person may not have the necessary range of motion to reach a container on a bedside table.
The common practice in most hospitals, nursing homes, and in-home patient care settings requires another person to serve liquids to the patent by filling a glass from a larger container which is often located on a table out of reach of the patient. Usually the container is an open plastic pitcher. The server must hand the filled glass to the patient, wait for the patient to drink, and then replace the glass on the table (which may be out of reach). The open pitcher may also be left on the table for extended periods of time and it contents are susceptible to contamination by airborne contaminants, and spillage.
There are several patents that disclose various drinking devices for administering liquids to a bedridden person from a container.
Deane, U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,740 discloses drinking device for bedridden persons comprising a bottle and tubing assembly having an elongated mouthpiece which is placed in the mouth of the user. The mouthpiece contains a manually operated spring biased plunger valve that is activated by the user depressing the plunger to supply liquid. This device requires the user to lift the mouthpiece, place the end of the mouthpiece between his or her lips, and have sufficient finger strength to grip the mouthpiece and depress the plunger against the spring force.
Metz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,064 discloses a drinking tube device for bedridden persons comprising a bottle and tubing assembly having a clamping mouthpiece that surrounds the free end of the tubing and is placed in the mouth of the user. The clamping mouthpiece is resiliently biased to a normally closed position to pinch the end of the tubing and is opened by the user's jaw pressure by biting down on the mouthpiece to supply liquid.
Elmore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,934 discloses a drinking device for bedridden persons comprising a flexible bag containing liquid housed in a thermally insulated container connected with a tubing assembly having a mouthpiece at its free end, which is placed in the mouth of the user. The mouthpiece contains a spring biased plunger valve that is activated by the user depressing the plunger with his or her tongue to supply liquid.
Turner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,933 and Turner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,580 disclose a device for administering oral fluid to a patient from a container. A nipple connected to the container by a tube is held on the patient's tongue. A valve in the nipple or in the opens in response to the patient sucking or pressing the nipple to initiate a flow of fluid in the tube. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,580, a detector responds to this flow and switches on a peristaltic pump for a period determined by the setting of a controller to deliver positively a suitable bolus of 2 to 6 ml to the patient. To give the patient time to swallow the bolus, the detector is inhibited for a predetermined delay period after termination of the bolus and over the same delay period, the tube remains pinched or clamped.
Turner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,077 discloses a device for administering oral fluid from a reservoir to a patient from a container. A mouthpiece with a nipple or diaphragm at its rear end is connected to the container by a tube and is held in the patient's mouth. The nipple or diaphragm is activated by the user's tongue. A fluid flow control ball valve connected in the tube via inlet and outlet ports comprises a hollow cylindrical housing containing a ball valve element freely reciprocal therein that serves as a piston to close and open the outlet port. The ball valve is opened when the user squeezes the nipple against his or her palate with the tongue to supply a quantity of liquid and is closed when the tongue pressure is released.
Edstrom, Sr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,405, discloses a drinking device for handicapped persons that is semi-permanently positionable at a location permitting access to the device by the mouth of the user; and is activated by the mouth of the user to continuously supply liquid to the user upon demand using only the user's mouth. The device includes a mouth operated drinking valve the semi-permanent positioning of which for accessibility by the mouth of the user is made possible by a tubing assembly in the form a flexible tube supported by a stiffener which permits the tubing assembly to be readily bent to position the tube and drinking valve as desired and maintains its position after bending.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a drinking dispenser apparatus for self-administration of liquids by a bedridden user having limited use of their arms, hands, and/or limited body movement. A liquid container adapted to be positioned above the head of a user has a flexible tubing assembly connected in fluid communication with its interior and has a mouthpiece at its free end. A solenoid valve disposed in the tubing assembly between the container and the mouthpiece is connected with a low-voltage electrical power source. An ergonomic low-effort microswitch is connected between the power source and the solenoid valve. The microswitch housing is a generally oval shaped enclosure sized and shaped to receive and support the palm of the user's hand and allow the user to put their fingers around it. A button mounted on the housing receives and supports a finger of the user, or may be squeezed in the hand, and when depressed under very light pressure depresses the stem of the microswitch completing a circuit that energizes the solenoid valve to move its valve element to an open position allowing liquid to flow by gravity from the container to the mouthpiece, and when the finger pressure is released allows the valve element to return to a closed position preventing liquid flow from the container to the mouthpiece. A tube support member may also be provided to hold the mouthpiece in a position within easy reach of the user such that the user may place the mouthpiece in his or her mouth manually or by turning his or her head to one side to place their mouth on the mouthpiece.